Now it was clear that Chen Xingjian and his mother weren’t on bad terms at all they were clearly at loggerheads.
Lian Jue even suspected that Chen Xingjian simply didn’t dare come home alone, which was why he had dragged him along as a shield and cannon fodder.
Seeming completely accustomed to it, Chen Xingjian walked up the steps at the entrance a step ahead of Lian Jue and pressed the doorbell.
Abruptly turning his head, he looked at Lian Jue: “What are you dazing off for? Why aren’t you coming over?”
Coming to his senses belatedly, Lian Jue took small, tentative steps and planted himself behind Chen Xingjian.
The two of them stood in front of this little townhouse for a full three minutes, but no one came to open the door.
Just as Chen Xingjian prepared to press the doorbell a second time, the door swung open from the inside, revealing Mother Li’s face.
“Li Ma, where is my mother?” Chen Xingjian inquired politely, then made to step inside, only to be blocked by Li Ma.
“Young Master, Madam is currently in a fit of temper. She gave strict orders that you are not allowed in at this time. Why don’t you come back another day?”
Unbeknownst to anyone, Lian Jue nodded like a pecking chick behind his back—exactly, exactly! Anyone could tell she’s raging right now; rushing in right now is just asking to be cursed out.
Chen Xingjian smiled, his expression darkening uncomfortably: “Then Li Ma, please inform Madam that I will wait right here. If she wants the Chen family’s domestic affairs to become gossip fodder on the entertainment pages of the newspapers, then she’s welcome to keep me waiting.”
That was a truly harsh thing to say.
Lian Jue’s eyelid twitched. Intervening to smooth things over, he spoke up: “Aunty, that isn’t what Mr. Chen meant. He specifically cleared his schedule at the company and rushed back just to see Madam. Being blocked outside all of a sudden just made him lose his temper for a moment.”
He fished out the gift he had brought from behind him and handed it to Li Ma: “This is a gift Mr. Chen specially brought, intending it for Madam. Could you please take it inside? Mr. Chen and I will wait outside for a little while longer.”
Lian Jue possessed a small, round face, eyes that curved into crescents when he smiled, and a sweet, pleasant way of speaking. His words managed to preserve the dignity of both sides.
Accepting the gift box from Lian Jue’s hands, Li Ma smiled and acknowledged it with a couple of nods.
As the front door closed before them, Assistant Zhao silently wiped a handful of cold sweat for Lian Jue in his heart.
He had always known that President Chen and his mother shared an ordinary relationship. Over the past couple of years, they had barely managed to maintain a veneer of surface peace, dropping off some gifts during festivals and holidays—until last year, when someone leaked to Madam that President Chen had privately broken a man’s leg. Ever since then, describing Madam and President Chen’s relationship as being at loggerheads wouldn’t be an exaggeration in the least.
If he had dared to open his mouth and offer even a word of persuasion, he would have been fired long ago.
Raising an eyebrow, Chen Xingjian toyed with the jade bracelet on his wrist, his tone ambiguous: “You’re quite good at smoothing things over. Anyone not in the know would think you were the one surnamed Chen and that you were her son.”
A chill instantly rippled through Lian Jue’s entire frame, and he cautiously tugged at Chen Xingjian’s sleeve: “Sir, I overstepped.”
Glancing at him sideways, Chen Xingjian shook his sleeve free: “I’ll deal with you when we get back.”
He had truly spoiled Lian Jue far too much. He had stood here taking insults and getting chewed out for the sake of the auditions, but Lian Jue good grief had gone and undermined him the very second they arrived.
Chen Xingjian had originally expected to wait here for half an hour as a baseline, just like in the past. To his surprise, barely five minutes had passed when the door of the townhouse swung open, and Li Ma welcomed the two of them inside.
The moment she truly laid eyes on Lian Jue’s face, Li Ma visibly froze, blinking unblinkingly as she stared straight at him.
Feeling thoroughly uncomfortable under the gaze, Lian Jue sidestepped and ducked behind Chen Xingjian.
Recovering his wits, Li Ma hurried to instruct someone to pour tea for the two of them before rushing upstairs in a flurry: “Young Master, Mr. Lian, please wait a moment. Madam will be right down.”
Bai Yishu was currently unboxing the gift box Li Ma had just brought up. Inside was a handbag; its pattern and color were classic, and whoever had picked it out must have put genuine thought into it.
It had been goodness knows how long since her son last sent her a gift.
When Li Ma suddenly pushed the door open, Bai Yishu shoved the gift box aside with a start and feigned composure: “Ahem, why did you suddenly walk in?”
“Madam, you should hurry on downstairs. I guarantee you’ll be happy the moment you go down.” Li Ma’s eyes were smiling into narrow slits. If Madam knew that the person President Chen had brought along happened to be Lian Jue, who knew how thrilled she’d be?
If Madam could ride the wave of today’s good mood and clear up the misunderstanding, that would be the best outcome possible.
Casting a skeptical look at Li Ma, Bai Yishu felt her curiosity somewhat piqued: “Seeing as he still has a bit of a conscience and knew to buy something to coax me, I’ll go see what kind of nonsense he’s acting out this time.”
Descending the stairs, Bai Yishu experienced a whirlwind of complex emotions upon spotting Chen Xingjian.
Yet her established principles were something she would never loosen her grip on.
Bai Yishu stated: “Xingjian, even if you don’t voice your intentions, I know what’s on your mind. I’m very glad you came to see me today and brought me a gift, but I also hope you can understand me.”
Chen Xingjian’s gaze drifted over to Lian Jue. Could it be that strategy really mattered?
In the past, a tongue-lashing would have come flying straight at him the instant he walked through the door; when had Bai Yishu ever reasoned with him in such a gentle, reasonable tone?
A gift of such high value apparently carried this kind of miraculous side effect.
“I have my own bottom line. If I open a backdoor for you today, it’s unfair to the other candidates. Since the person you brought along today happens to be here too, I might as well tell you straight: I’ve already privately chosen my preferred winner for the champion spot of this preliminary audition. No matter who tries to reason with me or pull strings, my mind is made up.”
“Xingjian, even if your father came back to life and stood right in front of me, I would still say the exact same thing.”
Turning her back to them, Bai Yishu couldn’t bear to keep looking at Chen Xingjian, feeling a certain degree of guilt in her heart.
Ever since he was a child, Chen Xingjian might have been occasionally mischievous, but he had never given her cause for real worry let alone come begging her to pull strings for something like this.
Yet apart from this single matter, she was willing to help him with anything else.
Sitting in her chair like needles and pins, Lian Jue felt his ears burn with hot embarrassment.
What how on earth did this get dragged into the territory of opening a back door? It made it sound as though Chen Xingjian’s poor relationship with his mother was entirely on his account.
A sudden wave of warmth flared across his fingertips as Chen Xingjian grabbed Lian Jue’s cold palm, wrapping his own hand around it with a stiff tone: “You had your mind made up from the very beginning—why did you make me drag someone all the way over here for nothing?”
“Is this your way of blaming me? If I didn’t say it like this, would you ever give up?” A breath of stifled air pooled in Bai Yishu’s chest, and her irritation began rising upward once more.
Having been locked outside the door earlier and now dealing with Lian Jue right beside him, Chen Xingjian felt a surge of annoyance: “You can rest and stay here. I’m taking Lian Jue back first.”
As if struck by lightning, Bai Yishu spun around instantly and strode rapidly over to Lian Jue’s side: “You what did you say your name is?”